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Saturday, July 31, 2010 9:28 GMT

Stories by Thalif Deen

IPS UN Bureau Chief Thalif Deen covers political, economic and social issues, including human rights, poverty, population, children, gender empowerment, peacekeeping, disarmament and sustainable development. A winner of the Bronze medal for excellence in UN reporting awarded by the UN Correspondents' Association, he has covered the world body since the late 1970s.

UN Chief Dilly-Dallying on Panel to Probe Israeli Killings?
by Thalif Deen
When the Security Council condemned the killings by Israeli military forces of nine Turkish civilians on a flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza last May, it also released a presidential statement &com;taking note&com; of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's proposal for an international investigation of the incident.

UN's Big Five Facilitate Arms Transfers to Rights Violators
by Thalif Deen
The five permanent members of the Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - are accused of facilitating the transport of conventional weapons and cluster munitions to countries where they could be used to commit human rights violations and war crimes.

Unmanned Drones - Targeted Killing vs. "Collateral Murder"
by Thalif Deen
When a Pakistani-U.S. national pleaded guilty last week to a failed attempt to detonate explosives packed in a vehicle in the heart of New York City, he admitted that one of the reasons he targeted the busy Times Square neighbourhood was to &com;injure and kill&com; as many people as possible.

Draft U.N. Treaty Targets Security Firms in War Zones
by Thalif Deen
A United Nations Working Group that monitors the activities of mercenaries worldwide is now trying to rein in the widespread human rights abuses by private military and security companies (PMSCs), which are being increasingly deployed in war zones and peacekeeping operations.

Q&A
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime Has Triple Standards
by Thalif Deen interviews JOHN BURROUGHS of the Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy
The abolition of nuclear weapons - and a halt to the spread of the deadly armaments - will be a major talking point at the month-long Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), scheduled to take place at the United Nations beginning next week.

Is the U.S. Going Soft on Israeli, Indian & Pakistani Nukes?
by Thalif Deen
When a much-ballyhooed two-day nuclear security summit ended in Washington early this week, there were several lingering questions that remained unanswered - even by the host of the high-powered 47-nation gathering, U.S President Barack Obama.

RIGHTS
U.S., Somalia Still Opt Out of Children's Treaty
by Thalif Deen
When the U.N. children's agency (UNICEF) commemorates the 20th anniversary of its landmark international treaty protecting the rights of children next week, there will be two countries skipping the celebrations: the United States and Somalia.

POLITICS
Obama (and Everyone Else) "Surprised" by Nobel
by Thalif Deen*
Friday's announcement that U.S. President Barack Obama had been awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize barely nine months into his presidency drew an outpouring of formal congratulations from around the world, amid scepticism and speculation over whether the prize would ultimately prove an asset or liability.

POLITICS
U.N. Session Marked by Highs and Lows
by Thalif Deen
The two-week long high-level segment of the U.N. General Assembly, which concluded last week, was characterised by historic moments, political controversies, and at times, routine boredom.

POLITICS
Obama Seeks U.N. Backing for Nuke-Free World
by Thalif Deen
When Barack Obama chaired a summit meeting of the Security Council Thursday - a historic first for a U.S. president - his primary motive was to push for his ambitious, long-term agenda for &com;a world without nuclear weapons&com;.

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